How do I protect my hardware?

[GiantEvilPig]

So I spent $700 on a laptop and that is a lot for me. I need to take it to school and I really don't want it stolen. I currently have some software called Prey, and I am wondering if there is anything else I can do to protect it (possibly physically).

[Senzelian]

Definitly get a bag or a sleeve which you can put the laptop in to not damage it and always make sure you have your bag and laptop with you. Don't leave it anywhere behind and you should be fine.

[GiantEvilPig]

Just now, Senzelian said:

Definitly get a bag or a sleeve which you can put the laptop in to not damage it and always make sure you have your bag and laptop with you. Don't leave it anywhere behind and you should be fine.

I do have a decent laptop backpack that is hard to open without me noticing, I just like to prepare for the worst like if someone has open access to taking it. 

[mymande]

there are but i do not remember the name (sorry) some smart keychain that sound/send you a notification when your laptop is x feet away from you

this would prevent you to forget it somewhere 

i think they go around 35$

[Senzelian]

2 minutes ago, GiantEvilPig said:

I do have a decent laptop backpack that is hard to open without me noticing, I just like to prepare for the worst like if someone has open access to taking it. 

If someone has direct access to your laptop, then it's usually to late for the hardware. I mean what are you going to do? Shoot the guy? Probably not.

 

Software on the other hand you can protect quite easily with frequent backups to a external harddrive for example. So in case someone steels your notebook, you won't lose your data. Depending on how valueable the data is, you can also secure that with excryption for example or at least a secure password.

[leaksy]

Just buy a gun... Works great if you ask me..

No im joking,you can try to do this

Buy a laptop cable lock

Use secure passwords and update them regularly

Never leave a laptop unattended

[jj9987]

If you want to physically protect it and your data:
- Encrypt your drives (BitLocker on Windows, LUKS on Linux, FileVault on Mac)

- Keep it securely locked - fingerprint, security key (YubiKey for example) or slightly worse, password

- Lock it every time you do move away (Win+L on Windows/Linux, Cmd+Ctrl+Q on Mac)

- Two factor authentications, password managers yada yada.

- Use a Kensington lock to physically lock it to a place

 

Prey is not going to help to protect it from being stolen. It can only help once it has already been stolen. And even then, the program can easily be prevented from running or just be removed.

[GiantEvilPig]

1 minute ago, jj9987 said:

Use a Kensington lock to physically lock it to a place

I wish I had one, my ports are limited with 2 thunderbolt 3 and 1 type A.

[GiantEvilPig]

6 minutes ago, leaksy said:

Buy a laptop cable lock

Like a Kensington lock? Cause I don't have one.

 

8 minutes ago, Senzelian said:

Software on the other hand you can protect quite easily

I am more after the hardware cause I leave everything important on an external drive anyways.

[Daniel644]

been bringing a laptop with me basically everywhere I go for about 10-12 years now, never let it out of my site unless it was locked inside the car with the cars alarm armed and stay out of bad neighborhoods, especially after dark (if i'm heading to like Downtown Atlanta to go shopping or something I will just leave it at home as I don't need it then). I also keep the current laptop (between upgrades and hardware failures I've been through a few over the last decade and a half) in the sleeve that came with it, then from there it goes in a laptop backpack, so to criminals looking in the car it's an un-assuming backpack on the floor of the car instead of like an Ipad or some shit sitting in the seat. Dark Tinted Windows if legal up there in the great white north is another way to hide your belongings in the car when you go in a store or keep a towel (in the words of South Park, "Don't forget to bring a Towel" or in the words of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy http://hitchhikers.wikia.com/wiki/Towel ) in the car and throw the towel over the computer bag when you go somewhere . I also eat at the same restaurants and everyone there knows me and knows it's my computer so they can keep an eye on it in the RARE occurrences I have to use the restroom while i'm there. but I live somewhere with a crime rate barely above the national average, I know plenty of people who don't even lock there doors (at least while they are at home, some not at all).

[Boomwebsearch]

On 8/22/2018 at 7:01 AM, Daniel644 said:

been bringing a laptop with me basically everywhere I go for about 10-12 years now, never let it out of my site unless it was locked inside the car with the cars alarm armed and stay out of bad neighborhoods, especially after dark (if i'm heading to like Downtown Atlanta to go shopping or something I will just leave it at home as I don't need it then). I also keep the current laptop (between upgrades and hardware failures I've been through a few over the last decade and a half) in the sleeve that came with it, then from there it goes in a laptop backpack, so to criminals looking in the car it's an un-assuming backpack on the floor of the car instead of like an Ipad or some shit sitting in the seat. Dark Tinted Windows if legal up there in the great white north is another way to hide your belongings in the car when you go in a store or keep a towel (in the words of South Park, "Don't forget to bring a Towel" or in the words of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy http://hitchhikers.wikia.com/wiki/Towel ) in the car and throw the towel over the computer bag when you go somewhere . I also eat at the same restaurants and everyone there knows me and knows it's my computer so they can keep an eye on it in the RARE occurrences I have to use the restroom while i'm there. but I live somewhere with a crime rate barely above the national average, I know plenty of people who don't even lock there doors (at least while they are at home, some not at all).

Having a locked car or house door is most of the time not going to be sufficient to prevent your laptop or other electronics stolen. A thief could easily look into your car or house through a window to notice that you possess some item which they want to take illegally and they have the ability to easily enter through the door through forced entry or not if they have the knowledge needed to unlock a lock without having the original key designed for operation of that lock. If your house is not being protected by cameras, alarms, monitoring service, etc. Them I would recommend getting a safe large enough for what you want to keep protected so that the thief would not be able to see through it and if he got through into your house he/she would not be able to unlock the safe easily (especially the electronic ones which eliminate giving the intruder a lock to open even). And it is surprising how easily most cars and house locks can be unlocked without any sign of entry. The intruder would have to basally move the pins in the lock up and down until all of them went at the sheer line and got the plug turned, they could accomplice this in many ways including bumping with a bump key, picking, raking, etc to open the locking mechanism without any damage. Even if you had a good secure lock, the intruder could break the door in so I would at least recommend having a door alarm at the very minimum. Assuming that the door frame and the door itself is sturdy enough, having a high security locking system such as the Kwikset Smart-Key system would make it very difficult to open your door without any damage caused. If you often forget to lock your doors at home, an electronic lock with automatic locking would be something to consider having. If your car has an alarm system and anti-theft system and you are relatively near it then you are probably fine there. You could also have a safe inside your car so you could use it in order to protect something such as a laptop. With taking some simple security measures you can prevent theft of your valuables and prevent being a victim of theft. Personally, I use some electronic deadbolts with the SmartKey cylinder as a backup on my entrance doors, and for the server room which I have, I use MiLocks Electronic Keypad Door Knob Locks and some other security measures which I would not disclose in public or the internet because it would defeat the main purpose of having them in the first place.

 

*Note that I can not be responsible for any loss of any property loss, damage, intrusion, etc caused for one or more of these practices which I have listed as there could be better options and alternatives although these are some general good practices. Make sure that you are doing some research before you pick and install your security items in their planned operating position.

 

Hope that this information helps,   @Boomwebsearch

[Daniel644]

9 hours ago, Boomwebsearch said:

Having a locked car or house door is most of the time not going to be sufficient to prevent your laptop or other electronics stolen. A thief could easily look into your car or house through a window to notice that you possess some item which they want to take illegally and they have the ability to easily enter through the door through forced entry or not if they have the knowledge needed to unlock a lock without having the original key designed for operation of that lock. If your house is not being protected by cameras, alarms, monitoring service, etc. Them I would recommend getting a safe large enough for what you want to keep protected so that the thief would not be able to see through it and if he got through into your house he/she would not be able to unlock the safe easily (especially the electronic ones which eliminate giving the intruder a lock to open even). And it is surprising how easily most cars and house locks can be unlocked without any sign of entry. The intruder would have to basally move the pins in the lock up and down until all of them went at the sheer line and got the plug turned, they could accomplice this in many ways including bumping with a bump key, picking, raking, etc to open the locking mechanism without any damage. Even if you had a good secure lock, the intruder could break the door in so I would at least recommend having a door alarm at the very minimum. Assuming that the door frame and the door itself is sturdy enough, having a high security locking system such as the Kwikset Smart-Key system would make it very difficult to open your door without any damage caused. If you often forget to lock your doors at home, an electronic lock with automatic locking would be something to consider having. If your car has an alarm system and anti-theft system and you are relatively near it then you are probably fine there. You could also have a safe inside your car so you could use it in order to protect something such as a laptop. With taking some simple security measures you can prevent theft of your valuables and prevent being a victim of theft. Personally, I use some electronic deadbolts with the SmartKey cylinder as a backup on my entrance doors, and for the server room which I have, I use MiLocks Electronic Keypad Door Knob Locks and some other security measures which I would not disclose in public or the internet because it would defeat the main purpose of having them in the first place.

 

*Note that I can not be responsible for any loss of any property loss, damage, intrusion, etc caused for one or more of these practices which I have listed as there could be better options and alternatives although these are some general good practices. Make sure that you are doing some research before you pick and install your security items in their planned operating position.

 

Hope that this information helps,   @Boomwebsearch

holy crap TL;DR much?

really you think a smart lock is gonna stop anyone more then a regular lock, if someone wants to break in they aren't picking locks, they are smashing windows, which is why I keep my blinds closed at all times, have tinted windows on my cars and keep the computer in a BACKPACK so it's not obviously any kind of electronics and both my house and my cars have alarms that are ALWAYS armed when I'm out of eyesight and AGAIN, I don't take it with me when I go to bad neighborhoods.

[Boomwebsearch]

17 hours ago, Daniel644 said:

really you think a smart lock is gonna stop anyone more then a regular lock, if someone wants to break in they aren't picking locks, they are smashing windows, which is why I keep my blinds closed at all times, have tinted windows on my cars and keep the computer in a BACKPACK so it's not obviously any kind of electronics and both my house and my cars have alarms that are ALWAYS armed when I'm out of eyesight and AGAIN, I don't take it with me when I go to bad neighborhoods.

Yes, these are good practices to keep your electronics secure. It depends on what type of window that you have although some types such as ones made of hurricane glass can resist being hit with a sledgehammer, this makes it very difficult to break through it and get inside. Metal bars on the window itself can be added to increase the strength although it might not be aesthetically pleasing as it does kind of make your place look like a prison cell. Not necessarily a smart lock although a good one with an anti-pick and bump system can help significantly to keep intruders not able to unlock your door if they choose that method of entry. Unlocking a locked Smart-Key cylinder without the key is very hard and time consuming to do and the average  burglar or even some locksmiths are not going to be able to open it without causing damage and doing it in a time effective manner which is why when one of these are locked out the locksmiths use high powered drilling equipment in order to penetrate through the metal of the lock and get the door unlocked. Safes and alarms in your car and house are very effective additionally. I apologize that my original post was not very to the point although I did want to cover a high amount of practices which you can use in order to keep your electronics and valuable possessions safe.

 

Hope that this clears up the misunderstood information contained within my first post within this thread,   @Boomwebsearch

 

[PrinnyExplodes]

WD40
 

1.) It protects your components from moisture

2.) It is so slippery that any assailant will drop it on the grouind

 

Also I am not responsible for any damage caused to computer by dropping on ground.